City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer have set aside a total of $7 million for the groundbreaking project, which will be officially announced Thursday.

The area — 11,000 square feet at low tide — will feature sand, terraced seating, a kayak launch, a spot for fishing, tree-lined walkways and concession stands, all just minutes from Wall Street in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge.

As you can see in a photo on NY Daily News' site, currently, the area is littered with trash, like many areas along the East River, so this restoration project is welcome news.

The East River is considered a dangerous place to swim due to the poor water quality and tides, however as of mid-2007, the water has been cleaner than it has been in decades, according to Wikipedia. Unfortunately, it still won't be clean enough for swimming from the beach, however. This new beach will rather just be an access point for kayaks and canoes and a place to fish and sit near the water.

This project is part of a larger restoration campaign designed by the architecture and urban design studio, WXY known as The East River Blue Way Plan, which according to Architecture Newspaper will "soften its hard edges with wetlands, beaches, and new pedestrian and cyclist amenities to create a model city based on resilient sustainability and community-driven recreation." In addition to giving New Yorkers another option for recreation within the city, the project will also be designed to include salt marshes to help protect the area from future storms.